


reading in between the lines

by potterwhore (pinkworm)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, F/F, Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:55:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26528602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkworm/pseuds/potterwhore
Summary: Pansy Parkinson needs help with her Astronomy lessons and Hermione agrees to it. What starts off as a study session in a library turns into something else, a gradual change which none of the girls were expecting but were taken in by.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Pansy Parkinson
Comments: 12
Kudos: 86





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello, hope u are having a good day. I will update almost every day, hopefully, unless mental illness decides to kick me down again
> 
> ps -I know the title isn't that creative, so I'll think of something and if any of you have any suggestions do drop them.

“Where are you off to, Mione?” Harry asked.  
“To play quidditch,” she said, packing her bag.  
“What?” he said dumbly.  
“To the library, where else?” She rolled her eyes.  
“Oh yeah,” Harry said, smiling, “Ron and I are in fact actually going for Quidditch practice, so yeah. See you later!”  
“Yeah see you later Hermione,” Ron said, and got up. Being done with was Ron’s favorite part of studying. He got up and stretched and walked away with Harry, talking about strategies and whatever they talked about.  
Hermione waved them goodbye and made her way to the library.  
Even though she was done with all of her homework, she liked going to the library - it was the perfect place to think, to do casual reading or even just sit - away from all the cacophonies which were an integral part of Hogwarts. She was mostly alone, and even if she wasn’t, no one really bothered her.  
She walked in, it was four pm right now. The boys and Ginny would be at practice for two hours, and then it would be time for supper in a while.  
There was no one around, as she had expected. She walked to the farthest end of the library, near the windows which looked out to the forest and sat down. She looked out, with nothing serious on her mind.  
“Plotting something Granger?” She heard a familiar voice.  
“Your death Malfoy,” she said, in a bored tone.  
“I’m actually flattered you spend some time thinking about me, I don’t really do that you know,” he smirked.  
“I find it hard to believe that you didn’t practice that line in your head attests three time before saying it out loud,” she said, rolling her eyes. She just wasn’t up for anything right now.  
“Told you Malfoy, she’s a feisty one,” she heard a girl. Pansy.  
“I like that,” he said.  
Pansy walked next to him, “it’s a library, leave her alone.”  
“Yes, I do live abiding by the rules,” he said.  
“Don’t you have Quidditch practice right now?” She asked.  
“So you know my schedule huh,” he said and she wanted to get up and pull his hair. He was really annoying sometimes.  
“Harry and Ron went for practice so I assumed, don’t flatter yourself. I just want you gone.”  
“We are done with the practice today,” he said.  
“I think you’d still like to go, seeing that Potter is out there with his arse perched on his broom,” Pansy said and Hermione looked at Draco whose eyes had widened now. She laughed.  
He walked away, muttering something to Pansy who just smirked.  
After he went away, Pansy looked at Hermione.  
“Does he have the hots for my best friend?” She asked the Slytherin girl.  
“He does, he’s just in denial,” she said, walking to the bench and sitting there.  
“Hm, he may be in luck since Harry is obsessed with him too. Malfoy this Malfoy that, it’s amusing and annoying,” she said.  
“Tell me about it, we go through the same thing.”  
They fell into a silence and Hermione didn’t know what to do. This was the first time she had been alone with Pansy and it’s not like the other girl was mean like other Slytherin students but they weren’t friends either.  
Pansy looked at her, with her head on the table. She looked like a puppy.  
“What are you doing here right now? I’m assuming you are done with your studies seeing how you are always in one book or another,” Pansy said.  
“I just like libraries, and this window is the perfect place to sit by and just think about stuff,” Hermione said, unsure about how to answer.  
“Oh, that’s nice,” Pansy said. “I’ll leave you alone if you want.”  
“It’s fine don’t worry. I have just never been alone with you so it’s a little weird, but not in a bad way.”  
“Don’t worry, contrary to popular belief, Slytherins don’t strike from behind. We’re very brave just like you Gryffindors.”  
“So there have been plans about striking me, huh,” Hermione said. By now the girls were leaning forward towards each other.  
“Yeah, it is one of my hobbies, thinking about how to attack people, especially you.”  
“Why?”  
“You always come first in class, and it gets annoying after a point Granger, give others a chance too.”  
“I can’t control that,” Hermione said smiling, and Pansy returned the smile.  
“If I wasn’t so confused about things in Astronomy I’d have been able to devote more time to other subjects too and get better marks than you,” she said.  
“I can help you with Astronomy if you want.”  
“Really?”  
“Yeah, why not. Then you can beat me in the other subjects,” Hermione said.  
Pansy looked at her, amused. She nodded her head after a while. “Sure, let’s do it. Tell me when and where.”  
“Same place, same time, tomorrow?”  
“Got it Professor Granger.” Pansy said and walked away. 

Well this was weird. 

______________________________________

“What?”  
“Are you hard of hearing when you are busy stuffing your mouth?” Hermione asked Ron who was busy downing everything in front of him, on his plate and everybody else's. Ginny had to smack his hand away a couple times from her chicken wing.  
“No, I am just surprised.”  
“Me too, it’s not everyday you hear something like this,” Harry said, looking at Pansy. That didn’t last long; his eyes moved to Malfoy’s back pretty soon.  
“Stop staring at your boyfriend, you will bore a hole in his skull,” Ginny commented and Harry looked away, fumbling.  
Hermione laughed.  
“Anyways, yes. I will be helping with Astronomy starting tomorrow.”  
“How long till they both start hexing each other, any bets?” Ron asked and was met with a playful smack on his head from Hermione.  
“She isn’t that bad, or bad at all actually.” Hermione commented, looking at the Slytherin table where the black haired girl was talking animatedly about something, She looked at her and waved. Hermione gave her a tight smile.  
This was weird, yes. 

_______________________________

“So, we can start with the Ethics of Astronomy today, since it’s mostly theoretical and boring so better to start with it and just get over it, and in case you get bored we can just switch it up and learn about the significance of the constellations, yeah? Unless you have some suggestions?”  
Hermione asked Pansy who had just entered the library.  
“So we’re getting right into it, huh,” she said with a smile. She set her bag down and sat next to Hermione. “I don’t have any suggestion, you know it better Professor.”  
“Stop calling me that.” Hermione said, taking her textbook out, smiling faintly.  
“Well, technically, you are teaching me, so, but sure I’ll stop.”  
They spent the next forty minutes going over the introductory chapter. Pansy made notes in a tiny notebook. “Easy to carry around.”  
On Hermione’s suggestion, they stopped for a break.  
“Feel free to stop me anywhere and we can go over that portion again.”  
“Sure, will do. You actually make it so easy, thank you,” Pansy said.  
Hermione wasn’t sure why but she could feel her cheeks getting flushed, and her smile getting wider. “Well that means our lessons aren’t going to any waste then.”  
Pansy looked at her for a moment too long to call it just friendly. Were they even friends?  
“Well, let’s get back to it, we have just thirty more minutes of it and we’ll be done for the day,” Hermione said, getting back to the books.  
“Wow time really flew fast, usually I’m counting seconds in Astronomy class,” Pansy commented.  
“Maybe that’s why you’re unable to learn anything,” Hermione said teasingly and Pansy touched her nose with her quill. Hermione touched her nose slightly, looking away. 

“If you are free tomorrow, we can again meet here or let me know when, I’m mostly done with my revision so it’ll help me too,” Hermione said when the girls walked out of the library, done with their lessons.  
“I will let you know in the morning?” Pansy said.  
“Sure.”  
“Where will I find you?”  
“I don’t know, look for me,” Hermione said and walked away, waving the Slytherin girl goodbye.

“How was the lesson?”  
“Hmm.”  
“Did you learn something?”  
“Hmm.”  
“One more hmm and I will hex you,” Draco said.  
“What do you think of Granger?”  
“She’s cute but not my type,” he said.  
“Potter is.”  
“Fuck you.”  
“I’m not the Gryffindor seeker,” she said and got up. She ruffled his hair, a thing she had exclusive rights for, and walked to the fireplace.  
Granger - her competition in class, wild haired, freckled, jumpy Granger who’d rather spend every day reading in than going out. But she didn’t seem like a bore. It was the first time they had been alone, and Pansy was left feeling something warm even when the open window brought in the winds from the Forbidden Forest.  
Maybe she would finally have a girl friend of her own.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello, renamed the fic but this isn't that great either

This was probably the first time she was near the Gryffindor Common Room. She wasn’t sure what to do, and the stares she was being given weren’t really helping. She should have just talked to Hermione during breakfast itself.   
She looked around, from the corner, hoping to spot a wild mane of hair somewhere, but to no avail. All of them had the same robes and Merlin it was tough to find her.  
“Looking for something?” She heard someone and turned around.   
It was Ginny, the Gryffindor Chaser.   
“Erm, yeah, I was looking for Granger,” she said, fumbling.  
“What for?” Ginny asked defensively. Pansy didn’t blame her, it wasn’t really the case that Slytherins and Gryffindors were friends.   
“She is helping me with Astronomy and she wanted me to find her to tell her when she would be free.”  
Ginny's forehead relaxed. “Oh, okay. That’s surprising.”  
Pansy nodded, she too was surprised with the turn of events.   
“Well, just wait here I’ll send her out,” Ginny said and disappeared inside the room, leaving Pansy stranded amongst a flock of Gryfifindors who all tried their best to ignore her.

“Hi,” she heard Hermione.  
“Hey,” she said, turning around.  
“So you found me,” she smiled.   
“Yeah well..”  
“Didn;t think you’d ever set foot here you know.”  
“Well, I do want to do better in Astronomy,” Pansy said, in a moment of panic.  
“Yeah, astronomy.”  
They stood silently for a moment, both feeling awkward.   
“Well, I just came here to say that I am free at four today, again.”  
“Oh that’s great, I am free too. I will meet you there itself?” Hermione asked her.  
Pansy nodded. “Okay then, talk to you later?”   
“Yeah sure, bye, take care!” Hermione said but Pansy had already turned around. The latter waved back hurriedly and walked away, down the steps out in the field where Draco was sitting with Blaise.   
“Where were you Parkinson?” Blaise called out.  
“Eh nowhere,” she said, sitting down on the soft grass.   
“She’s taking extra lessons,” Draco said.  
“From?”  
“Granger.”  
Blaise looked at Pansy incredulously and she shot him a stern look.   
“What are these funny looks you’re exchanging huh?” Draco asked.  
“Nothing,” Pansy said and changed the subject. “Do you have practise today?”  
“Yeah right after Potter,” he said.  
“Won’t it be hard to sit on the broom with a boner, after you see him all sweaty and focused?” Blaise asked and they all laughed except Draco.  
“Fuck you,” he said, looking away.   
“Anyways, time for Transfiguration,” Pansy said and they all got up. They were having it with Ravenclaw and the class, albeit quiet, always had a tense thing left hanging in the air.   
Pansy slowed down and let Draco move ahead.  
“I will kill you,” she said to Blaise.  
“What?” he said feigning innocence.  
“He doesn’t know about Granger.”  
“You mean your crush on Granger?”  
“I don’t have a crush on her, I just think she’d be a great friend. I am always stuck with you two stinky boys and that is not really that great let me tell you,” she whispered.  
“Hm, weren’t you the one who was telling me she has really nice hands? And that she was so smart it was almost hot?”  
“Fuck off.”  
“Okay okay,” Blaise mock surrendered, “”go ahead, make her your girlfriend, your female companion, go braid each other's hair for all I care.”   
Pansy just walked ahead.  
“Hey Pansy,” Blaise called.  
She looked back.  
“She is very pretty though.”  
She just looked ahead, trying to hide her smile. 

______________________________

“You’re actually helping her with Astronomy?” Ginny asked Hermione, while the latter changed out of her robes.  
“Yeah,” she said. She took out a baby blue sweater.  
“Huh.”  
“Why are you so surprised?”  
“I don’t know, aren’t you threatened that she will get better grades than you?”  
“Not really, I only compete with myself plus it’s not like I am the only one who studies you know. Last week Neville beat me in Herbology and that wasn’t the first time.”  
“Also, she is a Slytherin,”  
“As long as she’s nice to me, I’ll be nice to her, I don’;t care what house she is in.”  
“Huh. Okay.”  
Hermione smiled at Ginny. “I’m off now, bye.”  
“Take care, bye bye,” she answered back. 

Walking down the halls to the library, Hermione thought of the reason why she was actually doing it. Yeah sure, she didn’t mind helping Parkinson, no matter what her background was, or what house she was from, as long as she herself was a decent person. But what was it all about? She never readily agreed to things, but she said yes right away.  
She was probably overthinking, thanks to Ginny.  
She entered the library and was met with Pansy sitting at her usual spot.   
“Hello,” she said, setting her bag down.  
“Hi,” Pansy turned away from the window to look at her.  
“I hope you weren’t waiting for long?”  
“Oh no, don’t worry about that,” Pansy smiled. 

They got into it right away, and the girls were done with most of the work by the end of the second hour.   
“Just one more meet up and we will be done with it, at least all the things that you found troubling.” Hermione said, re-tying her hair.   
Pansy looked at the curls framing her face and forgot to answer for a second. “Oh yeah, yeah that’s great,” she said.  
“The test is on friday so if you have any other doubt feel free to ask me anytime after that too, but you’re good at studies naturally, so I don’t think you will find any troubles,” Hermione continued, oblivious to Pansy’s not so discreet gawking.   
“Yeah, I guess. Thanks to you,” she said.   
They sat quietly, looking at each other, the familiar awkward atmosphere back.   
Hermione wiped her palms on her thighs. “So, yeah we’re done then?”  
“Yeah, for today,” Pansy said.   
“For today, yeah,” Hermione smiled and started putting her stuff back in her bag.   
“Can I ask you a question?”  
“Sure.”  
“Do you think Potter and Draco will ever confess to each other?”  
“Maybe, I mean they both are cocky as hell, and also awkward, so I’m not really sure how it’ll pan out.”  
Pansy laughed. “I hope they do get together though, I’m tired of him talking about Potter all the time.”  
“God, same. As soon as he spots him somewhere in the hallways he’s like, look at Malfoy, that git, he has switched up his hairstyle. Ron almost pukes,” Hermione joined her in her laughter.   
They got up together and walked out of the library, and reached the place where they parted ways.   
“Granger,” Pansy started.  
“Yeah?”  
“Do you want me to walk you back?” Shit shit shit shit.  
Hermione looked at her with slightly raised eyebrows.   
“I’m pretty sure the ghosts here are non threatening. Thank you for the offer though, but Ginny must be waiting for me after her practise.”  
“Oh, okay,” Pansy tried to not show her disappointment, “goodbye then.”  
“Bye Parkinson.”

________________________

“I asked her if she wanted me to walk her to her dorms,” she flopped down in front of Blaise.  
“And?”  
“Well do you see me near the Gryffindor dorms right now?”  
“Aw did she refuse?”  
“Yeah, she had to go meet that Weasley girl.”  
“Aw, do you think they’re snogging?”  
“That doesn’t matter to me, I just thought I would finally have a female friend.”  
Blaise just smiled.  
“They aren’t actually snogging though, do you think?” Pansy asked after a few minutes.  
“What do I know, they are awfully close. And I thought it didn’t matter to you?”  
“It doesn’t, but well,”  
“You know what Pansy, hear me out just once,” Blaise sat up, and Pansy knew he was about to start on one of his speeches.   
“What,” she sighed.  
“You went back last year and dated that curly haired girl back home, that muggle girl you sent me photos of? And when it was time to come back here, you broke up with her, telling you were still kinda not over someone? And you know whom she looked awfully similar to? You guessed it! Ms Hermione Granger, the ‘smart arse,’” he said, making air quotes.   
“Yeah whatever,” she said, looking away.  
“No, see, my point is, you’re no better than Draco, you’re both stuck on these Gryffindor people who may or may not be aware of your feelings for them and well, I don’t know it’s very hilarious. But please please sort it out in your head. Do you want to pursue her or do you just want to get good grades inAstronomy and be done with it?”  
“We don’t even know if she’s into girls or not,” Pansy said.   
“Don’t worry, we’ll find that out real soon, all you gotta do is somehow extend the class for a few more days.”  
“How am I supposed to do that?”  
“You think of something genius.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank u for reading you're lovely lovely lovely   
> idk where this story is going but yeah it's just a writing practice for me  
> if u liked it, thank you ! 
> 
> take care bye bye


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have a good day thank u for reading mwah

“Are you okay?” Hermione asked.  
Pansy shook her head. “A little headache, that’s all.”  
“Oh, do you want to stop for today?”  
“Won’t it be a bother to you?”  
“No it’s fine.”  
“Well then, yes I’d like that,” Pansy said, faintly smiling.  
“Do you want me to get you something? Or take you to the nurse?”  
“No, it’s okay, I’d like to just sit here for a while. You can go if you want.”  
“I think I will just stay, at least for a bit,” Hermione said, looking concerned.  
Pansy felt a little guilty but also secretly elated. Eating those frozen candies always gave her a wee bit of headache and if she just ate a little more than usual, she was met with a hell of a migraine and coughing and sneezing. She was glad it was just the headache for now.  
She looked at Hermione who was reading.  
“What do you do when you get a headache?”  
“Aspirin, since my parents are muggles so it works on me just fine.”  
“Does it not work on wizards?”  
“Not really.”  
“That’s interesting to know.”  
“It is, I was very much surprised when I learnt that, it’s like some weird magic within magic thing - or more like restrictions? I don’t know, wait, I am boring you,” Hermione trailed off, awkwardly.  
Pansy laughed. “No, it’s alright. I learnt something.”  
“How did your Transfiguration test go?”  
“It went well. Crabbe almost blew up his desk. Don't know what spells he was using. How was yours?”  
“It went well too, except Ron decided to turn his hand purple. Professor was not amused one bit.”  
“I think she is just used to it now, so she’s bored.”  
“I think you are right.”  
Pansy looked at Hermione who got up and looked at the books, picking one out and just reading through it.  
“After the Astronomy exam, we’ll be done with this semester,” she started.  
Hermione hmmed, not lifting her eyes off the book.  
“A bunch of us are going to Hogsmeade, I was wondering if-”  
“There you are!” She was interrupted by a loud voice, which turned out to be Ginny’s and Pansy could feel her headache increase tenfold.  
“Hi, ”Hermione said, “what are you doing?”  
“No practice today so Luna and I decided to go out to the fields to check on her plants. Do you wanna come?”  
Hermione looked at Pansy, unsure.  
“You should go, I’m feeling fine now,” she said, waving her hand.  
“Are you sure?”  
“Oh come on, it’s not like she is a child. And you were supposed to help her study, not be her nurse, let’s go,” Ginny said, clearly not a fan of Pansy or Slytherins in general.  
Pansy tried her best to not scowl at her.  
“Whatever you were going to tell me, tell me tomorrow okay? I am so sorry. Hope you feel better soon, ”Hermione took her bag and went away.  
Pansy nodded and put her head down on the desk with a thud.  
There were a lot of bad words she knew, but she didn’t want to use any of them for Hermione’s friend in case the latter ever dug deep in her memory using the Pensieve.  
Well, at least she had extended her study session with her. 

“What are you going to do?” She asked Blaise, who was reclining on her bed like the shameless person he was.  
“You just wait and watch,” he said coolly.  
“No, I don't trust you.”  
He put his hand to his chest, feigning heartbreak.  
She sat down next to him. Why was it about Ginny that annoyed her so much? She had always been indifferent when it came to the Weasleys, they were all a different kind of train wreck, but something about Ginny was just very off putting. She couldn’t place her finger on it, not quite. 

The silence in the room was broken by Draco barging in.  
“Potter asked me if I wanted to see him change, right in front of everyone. What a fucker!”  
“Was it not because you were gawking at him anyways?” Blaise said, bored. This was an everyday occurrence now.  
“Er, no! I mean, whatever. He was looking at me too.”  
“Merlin y’all are impossible.”  
He sat down on Pansy’s bed, forcing her to scooch. She hit him on his arm.  
“How are your study sessions with that witch going?” He asked and Pansy glared.  
“What, you are a witch too.”  
Pansy had to laugh. “It’s going fine, one more class left.”  
“Well, goodluck. You better beat her in Astronomy then.”  
“Sure.”  
“Also you both may think you are being very secretive but I know you both are brewing something and I am not a part of it which is clearly making me unhappy.” He said, looking at Pansy and Blaise who were both now looking at each other.  
“It’s nothing,” Pansy said, looking away.  
“Well, I wanna know.”  
“You are so stubborn.”  
“If he weren't he wouldn’t be stuck on that Potter guy since third year.”  
“Shut up Blaise.”  
Pansy looked at him, unsure of how to tell him about how her insides were a mess and she was unsure about everything, regarding herself, Hermione, and everything that was there in the world.  
But she gathered her wits and told him. About her summer and how she spent it thinking about a certain person, how she tried filling in the void by dating someone who looked similar to her.  
“So you faked being dumb in order to be close to her? Respect.” Draco said.  
“No! I am genuinely weak at Astronomy,” she said. “It was just an added benefit ” she added, looking away.  
Draco laughed.  
“Well, look at us, we’ve picked up from that messy lot,” he said.  
“That means, Blaise, do you wanna tell us something? Are you feeling something for Ron?”  
“Shut up, you both better focus on your own love lives,” he said.  
“Yeah yeah pretty boy,” Draco said, “let’s go for supper shall we?”  
“And stare relentlessly at the people sitting on the Gryffindor’s table right,” he said and they both hit him at the same time. 

___________________________________

“What are you going to do?” she whispered.  
“Just wait,” he said, looking at the Herbology classroom door.  
Pansy and Blaise had just finished their Potions class and were waiting for Hermione outside her Herbology class. They had Divination together right now.  
Hermione walked out with the rest of the students, talking to Ron.  
Blaise waited for her to be near them.  
“Hey Hermione, how are you” he asked.  
“Hi Blaise?” she said, sharing a look with Ron who walked away shrugging.  
“Your hair looks great today,” he said which made Hermione consciously touch her head. It wasn’t everyday that Slytherin students said nice things about her.  
“Okay, thanks?”  
“No really, Pansy thinks so too.”  
Pansy hit him reflexively and then looked at the girl standing in front of her. “I didn’t explicitly mention it to him, but yeah.”  
“Ah okay,” Hermione replied, clearly feeling weirded out.  
“Speaking of Pansy, I hope she is being a good student?”  
“Yeah she is. Hey how’s your headache by the way?” she said, turning her attention to Pansy.  
“It’s alright, thank you.”  
“Sorry I had to leave, Ginny gets way too excited sometimes.”  
“Yeah well that’s not a nice thing always,” Pansy mumbled.  
“Pardon?”  
“I said it’s okay.”  
Hermione nodded.  
“So, we all have Divination now! What a coincidence. Would you like to walk with us?” Blaise asked.  
“Uh,” Hermione looked at Harry and Ron standing at a distance staring at them, “I think they are waiting for me.”  
“Yeah you should totally go with them, it’s cool. Don't mind him, I don't know what’s gotten into him now?” Pansy said, feeling embarrassed.  
Hermione smiled and then walked away, waving her goodbye.  
Pansy turned to Blaise. “What was that?”  
“We met her in a setting which you both weren’t used to, she will now be thinking of you.”  
“More like you, you did the talking,” she said, sarcastically.  
“No, I was just a side character. She doesn’t interact with me on a frequent basis.”  
“I am not sure what you’re trying to do,” Pansy said as they made their way to Divination.

“I feel bad, I shouldn’t have declined, they were so nice about it,” Hermione said.  
“It’s alright, you always walk with us,” Harry said.  
“Yeah but they straight up asked me. I’m going to do something about it,” Hermione said as they settled in class for Divination.  
That’s when Pansy walked in with Blaise and Draco by her side.  
“I have an idea,” Hermione said and she wanted for them to settle in their places before she got up and approached her.  
“Hey, Malfoy, do you mind sitting next to Harry? I kinda want to sit next to Pansy,‘ she asked and the three onlookers showed varying levels of surprise.  
Blaise pushed Draco up who nodded and walked past her to sit next to Harry who looked taken aback. Blaise turned to his partner and Hermione sat next to Pansy.

“I sense a shift of energy in here,” declared Professor Trelawney as she made her entry. Pansy shifted in her seat.  
“I am sorry for not walking with you to the class,” Hermione whispered.  
“It’s alright,” Pansy said, meaning it.  
“I felt bad,” she said.  
“So you decided to sit next to me and put those two insufferable prats together,” she said pointing at Draco and Harry who were fidgeting and whispering something intensely to each other.  
“Yeah, ” Hermione laughed her breezy laugh and Pansy looked down.  
The teacher drawled on, but nobody seemed to be listening. All her predictions were ominous and no one was interested in knowing how they’d die on their wedding day.  
“So, when are we studying today?” Hermione asked, once they were told to draw whatever their quill urged them to and submit it for readings.  
“Yeah, about that, I am going to be helping Blaise with something so, I’m sorry I won’t be able to be there today,” she said, reciting what Blaise had taught her.  
Hermione looked at her and then nodded. “Okay, then tomorrow?”  
“Yeah, maybe,” Pansy said as coolly as she could even though it pained her on the inside.  
Professor Trelawney walked to their desk. “Oh to be young and in love,” she murmured and took their sheets away.  
They looked at each other puzzled. Pansy was sure her heartbeat was being heard by all the portraits at the other end of the castle. 

“So, how’d it go?” Blaise asked.  
“He is so annoying, we’re going to meet at Hogsmeade,” Draco said.  
“I wasn’t asking you, you prat, but good for you. I killed two birds with one stone,” Blaise said, looking proud.  
“Well, I said it all, as you asked me to,” Pansy said.  
“And?”  
“She looked disappointed but maybe I am imagining it since you drilled it in my head.” she said.  
“She cares! She likes spending time with you!”  
“Shut up,” she said.

“Want to go visit Luna with me?” Ginny asked.  
“No.”  
“Let’s go annoy Fred and George.”  
“No, you go.”  
“What is it?”  
“Nothing, don’t feel well I guess?”  
“Well, thank Merlin you don’t have to teach that insufferable Slytherin today then, she would only add to it,” Ginny commented, oblivious and walked out.  
Hermione sighed. Was it really possible that she had started t enjoy Pansy’s company more than she had ever expected to?  
She rolled around in her bed and picked up her Astronomy book, and saw the tiny doodle Pansy had made of a flower which bloomed every time she opened the page.  
It did feel nice to have a girl to talk to about things.  
She wondered what Pansy was doing right now, which didn’t help. She heaved a sigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kinda wanna develop the drarry thing on the side? one shot hmm?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a writing exercise and I am so done with it, but I need to stop abandoning stuff without finishing them so yeah

Pansy tried focusing on the textbook in front of her, but there were a lot of things which were coming in the way. Hermione, in her head. She kept wondering what she was doing right now. Probably out somewhere Ginny, she thought and her mouth twisted into an unpleasant expression. She wasn’t sure what Blaise was planning and she didn’t have much faith in him.  
And right now, she was on the verge of stabbing him if he didn’t stop tapping the table.  
“Can you shut up?” She asked.  
“Sorry,” he said and raised his hands in mock surrender. Draco mouthed thank you to her.   
She went back to her book, trying again.   
It was going to be a long day. 

________________________________________________________________________________________

Pansy walked out of the washroom and was making her way to her Herbology class when she heard someone call for her.   
She turned around. Hermione and Ginny.  
“Hey, I was wondering if you are free today, there are just four days to the exam so we should finish it as soon as possible and revise once? If you want to, that is?”   
Pansy looked at her and Ginny, who was looking the other way. I hate you too.  
“Yeah, I am on my way to submit my Herbology project and then I have to help Blaise with his. I am free after supper,” she said.   
“Common Rooms get closed after supper these days,” Hermione said.  
“Well, that’s settled then. Hermione you and I can watch that muggle movie you wanted us to,” Ginny chimed in.  
“I don't remember anyone asking you anything,” Pansy snapped.   
Hermione looked at her, a little wide eyed. “Ginny, I’ll talk to you later,” she said and Ginny walked away, glaring.  
“Sorry about that, didn’t mean to, ”Pansy said.   
“It’s okay I guess, you can’t just eradicate years long hostility our houses bear for each other,” Hermione said.  
“Yeah, it’s a little more than that,” she said.   
“Pardon?”  
“Nothing.”  
They started walking. Pansy looked at Hermione, in her red sweater, her hair damp and sticking to her back.  
“Your hair’s long,” she commented.  
“Yeah, the curls make it look like I have a cloud sitting on my head,” Hermione said, patting her head.  
“It looks nice,” Pansy said.   
Hermione looked away, mumbling thanks.   
“So, we’re finally walking somewhere together, huh,” she said, after a while.  
“Haha yeah, took only so many days and missed opportunities,” Pansy said, laughing.   
They reached the Herbology lab and Pansy dropped in to submit her project.   
“Well, one more headache gone,” she commented.  
“Yeah, it feels so nice when you are finally done with everything.”  
“Well, just the Astronomy paper now, and we’ll be done,” Pansy commented and the girls paused instinctively.   
“Yeah,” Hermione said.   
“If you’re not free after supper, it’s okay. You have taught me enough for me to not suffer through the exam anyways,” Pansy said.  
“I am, tell me where you want to study. We should finish what we started,” Hermione said resolutely.  
Pansy blinked, “I can smuggle you in my dorm room, I am alone anyways so don’t worry, no one will trouble you.”  
Hermione blinked. “I never thought I would go inside the dungeons and in a Slytherin dorm room,” she said.  
“Well, there’s always time for firsts,” Pansy said and they shared a smile.   
Merlin, Hermione was so cute. She looked at her walking ahead and admitted to herself honestly, for once, that she was in too deep in this, and her subconsciousness had now taken full force.   
She wasn’t any better than Draco.   
Hermione looked back and Pansy caught up with her, her feelings bubbling up inside her. 

_________________________________________

“You’re not going to the dungeons!” Harry exclaimed.  
“Yeah, Hermione? Are you like, okay in your head?” Ron said.  
She tucked her hair behind her ears and looked at herself in the mirror and took her bag. “I am going. Don’t think I am incompetent, I can fight off a dozen slytherins and then some if it comes to that. And they’re literally just like us except they’re a bunch of asshats,” she said.   
“Yeah, we have faith in you, but like why? "Harry asked.  
“I don’t know, I need to help her,” she said.  
“Why?”  
“Who knows?”  
She looked at them one last time and they were familiar with the face she was giving them, it meant she was firm on her decision and no one could change her mind.  
“Well, in that case,” Harry asked, “can I sneak in using my invisibility cloak?”  
“Just ask him out like a normal person you moron,” she said and closed the door, smiling. 

She walked to the library, and waited. She had been to the library after everyone was asleep a lot of times, but this time she was going beyond, to a territory she had never thought of venturing into even in broad daylight. Not that it would have made any difference, the dungeons were cold and dark throughout the day, all around the year. Anyone living there would become a miserable person. Maybe that is why the Slytherin stereotype was being carried on like a legacy.   
She waited a few minutes when she heard someone walking. Pansy.  
“Hey,” she said softly.  
“Hi,” Pansy said, She was wearing a bottle green turtleneck and a black skirt, true to her spirit. Her hair was a little messed up, due to wind, probably.   
“Let’s go,” she said and Hermione nodded. They started walking together, their steady breaths the only conversation until they reached the dungeon.   
“Now, it is going to get windy, but only for like ten seconds,” Pansy said.  
Hermione looked surprised. “I didn’t know getting to your room would be such a quest,” she said, her voice suggesting another meaning to it.  
Pansy laughed nervously. “Ready to go?” She asked.   
Hermione nodded, still looking unsure. On a whim, Pansy held Hermione’s hand, which was surprisingly warm. She could feel her entire body warming up in response. Hermione tightened her grip. Pansy opened the door.  
They stepped forward side by side, their arms touching ,as it was a narrow corridor. They walked quickly and reached the other end and stopped.   
Pansy looked at Hermione, whose hair was messed up more than usual. The girl was looking surprised. Pansy laughed, combing through her hair with her fingers.   
“I just have one question,” Hermione said, and Pansy gestured at her to continue. “How the hell does Malfoy’s hair not get ruined?”  
Pansy laughed. “The wind starts around suppertime and stops before daybreak.”  
“This isn’t an ideal living situation. Muggle students would have sued the hell out of their school if such were the case with them.”  
“Yeah well, we’re used to this and then some,” Pansy said.  
They walked past the Slytherin common room which had a few students sprawled in front of the fire. None of them took any notice of the two girls who walked past corridors which seemed to be whispering and hissing, like they knew an imposter was here.   
They finally reached a black door which Pansy opened with a key. She let both of them in and shut the door lightly. 

Hermione looked around. The room had peacock green wallpaper with a lot of posters stuck randomly on them. There were two four poster beds on either end of the room, one of them empty. The other side of the room, which was Pansy’s had a floral bedspread, which was very unlike Pansy.   
Pansy gestured to her to put her bag on the bed and sit. She walked forward.  
“What happened to your roommate?”  
“Went to France for studies, or something,” she said.  
“That’s cool.”  
“Probably,” Pansy said, standing in front of her. “Do you want me to get you something? Tea? Coffee? I don't know Fizzypop?”  
“No thankyou.”  
Pansy nodded and kept standing. “Come on this is your room, sit!” Hermione said, laughing.   
The girls sat face to face, mirroring each other - one leg tucked underneath and the other dangling. Pansy took her textbook out and so did Hermione. 

They completed the revision in over an hour and Pansy asked her to wait there while she went out to get something to eat.   
Hermione stretched and looked at the bedside table. It had Pansy’s photo with Draco and Blaise and one of her as a child, her hair in two ponytails and her face scrunched up. She picked it up and smiled. She was so adorable.   
“Hi, sorry, Draco wanted to know how my revisions were going, but anyways, I have got salted chips, a bottle of soda and half a cake, I know, weird combination but well,” Pansy said and then paused when she saw what was in Hermione’s hands. “Hey, that’s me.”  
“Yeah, you look so cute here,” Hermione said, smiling.  
“No, I look angry!”  
“But so cute?”   
Pansy blushed.

They were standing very close now, the closest they had been to each other ever. Hermione still had the photo in her hand, and Pansy’s arms were on her side. Hermione looked at her, a certain feeling taking over her, something which seemed familiar, but in a magnitude which was foreign but comforting. She put the photo on the table, and inched closer to Pansy who was looking at all her movements with a certain intensity. 

“I-” Pansy started, but her words dissolved into the air as Hermione pressed her lips to hers. A soft gentle touch, which lasted probably a second or two. When she broke away, her eyes were wide and she seemed to snap out of whatever reverie she had been in which made her act like that.  
They looked at each other, both of them mildly surprised.   
“I am so sorry for that,” Hermione said and stepped away and ended up against the table.   
“It’s okay, I mean, I like you,” Pansy started but was cut off.  
“I am straight, I guess? I mean, I don’t know, I shouldn't have led you on like that,” she said, looking apologetic.  
“You didn’t lead me on, you literally kissed me,” Pansy said, the embarrassment warming up her face. She was the biggest fool in this world.   
“Yeah, I am sorry, I just, I should go,” she said and started packing her stuff up.   
Pansy looked at her panicking, standing there. She felt so embarrassed and almost wanted to cry. Hermione picked her bag up and looked at her, tried saying something but thought better of it and walked away. 

Pansy slumped down on the floor, tired of everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have a good day thank u for reading mwah 
> 
> also I just invented Fizzy pop idk


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello i can't believe i am almost done with this

Hermione walked back to her dorm and sat down on her bed. What the fuck just happened?  
She was straight, wasn’t she? She just never felt any attraction to any of the dudes and she thought she would when the time was right and so was the person. She thought her aversion to thinking that Harry was hot was just because they were literally like siblings, and not because she wasn’t into that. She touched her lips lightly, and was taken back to twenty minutes ago (or was it a day ago/ or merely five seconds?) when she was kissing the girl she was supposed to be tutoring. She did tutor her technically.   
She tried to be rational about it.  
Did she like Pansy?  
Yeah.  
Did she like spending time with her?  
Yeah.  
Did she like him enough to kiss her?  
Well, a little past that point but yeah. 

She laid down and huffed. What the fuck was she supposed to do? Especially after being so rude and awkward with her. With the girl she possibly had the hots for.  
Possibly? Definitely, came an internal voice, and she shook her head and tried to sleep.  
And kept trying until five in the morning. 

_____________________________

The next few days were a blur. Pansy remembered getting up, sitting with her friends and revising. She kept mum whenever they asked about what happened that night. And then it was the examination day. As per the rules, everyone was supposed to give the written exam at the same place. Pansy caught Hermione’s eye, who looked away hastily and nearly tripped on someone’s bag. She concentrated on her paper so hard that Blaise asked if she was trying to burn a hole through it.  
She did not want to write the exam, but that wasn’t a sane way of doing things. She tried her best and got through the painful two hours with considerable struggle.   
She walked out of the hall and was standing next to Draco when Hermione made her way towards them. She took hold of Draco’s arm and they walked out of that place, the latter confused.   
“What is up with you?” Draco asked.  
“Nothing, it’s fine,” she said, looking back to see that she wasn’t following them.  
“I am not blind, I can see there’s something going on, tell me,” he said.  
By then Blaise was by their side and he asked her the same question.   
So she told them. Everything that happened and why she was so crushed. Because after a lot of thinking she realised she really did like Hermione. A lot. She never knew how she got to that, but it couldn’t be helped any more. The kiss just made it all clearer.  
But apparently it didn’t make it easier.  
“Have you tried talking to her?” Blaise asked.  
“She was approaching her when she ran out right now,” Draco answered.  
They made their way back to lunch.   
“Pansy, don’t fret over this, you are not a terrible person. She kissed you first,” Draco said, trying to comfort her.  
“Yeah, but like, I really like her,” she said.  
The boys shared a look and patted her lightly on the shoulder.   
“Let’s get you something to eat and celebrate that we’re finally done with the exams,” Blaise said gently and Pansy nodded. Maybe doing different things would make the storm which was brewing in her head subside a little. 

_________________________________________

Hermione did not see Pansy for the next entire week. There were no classes so she had no excuse to run into her, like she was planning. The results were sent to their dorms and she did not know how Pansy had done, but what she really wanted to know was how she was. Harry and Ron could sense something was wrong but they weren’t sure what it was and Hermione did not want to tell them. Not because they wouldn’t understand but because all of this was relatively new for her too. And she had gone ahead and ruined it already.   
“Whatever is bothering you, I hope it gets sorted soon,” Harry said as they sat in the Common Room.   
“Really Hermione, you can tell us anything, and we will try to be as understanding as possible,” Ron said, trying his best. Hermione patted his arm.  
“It’s alright Ron, thank you for being so concerned. Thank you Harry,” she said.  
It was then that Ginny entered the room and asked Ron to come with her, as their mother had sent some things. He bid them goodbye.   
Hermione looked at Harry.   
“Can I ask you something?” she asked.  
“Sure, anything,” he said.   
“So, how did you know you were, bisexual?”   
“Oh, well, I liked kissing boys as much as girls, maybe even a little more. And then I got fixated over that bloke from Slytherin and yeah, that’s not a very heterosexual thing to do is it,” he said smiling.   
Hermione smiled tightly. “I think I might be into girls.”  
Harry’s eyes widened and he got up and sat next to her.   
“Hermione, that’s great. I support you, and I am sure Ron does too. Is this what has been bothering you?”  
Hermione nodded and then slowly told him everything.   
Harry listened to her and paused for a moment to think. He then took her hands in his own.   
“You did nothing wrong, it was a moment of panic,” he said, “however, I strongly suggest you go and talk to her, I have a feeling she likes you too. And even if she doesn’t, at least she helped you discover something about yourself.”  
Hermione nodded, “yeah that makes sense. But the thing is, I really like her, and I am scared that when she refuses it will make me feel terrible, more than I am feeling right now, and I kind of don’t want that.”  
“But you can;t keep avoiding feelings Mione, that’s not how it’s done. You literally told me that a few months ago when I was crying about Malfoy, so please listen to yourself if not me,” he said and smiled gently.   
She returned the smile and got up. She kissed him on the cheek and walked out.   
“Fill Ron i for me would you?”   
Harry gave her a thumbs up.

_________________________________

She stood in front of the Slytherin door. She wasn’t entirely sure if it would open up for her, since she was not from Slytherin, or more like she was from Gryffindor, but it was worth a try.   
She gave it a push and it opened up, to her surprise and relief. Now ten seconds of wind. She let out a breath and walked forward, the chilly wind making the hair on her back stand up while her hair on the head got messed up. She clearly didn’t miss this.   
She walked ahead, hoping she was going in the right direction, she seemed to have forgotten where she was going, or more like she had no idea where she was supposed to go.  
After going through a lot of hissing corridors, she finally reached what seemed to be the Slytherin Common Room. There were people in it and she felt a stab of nervousness go through her. She stood there on the entrance quietly, and spotted Pansy sitting with Draco and Blaise, listening to something the latter was saying.   
She hoped she’d catch her eyes before anyone else would.   
“Oh look, someone is clearly lost,” she heard someone and saw Goyle, smirking at her. All eyes shot at her and she wanted to run back.   
She locked eyes with Pansy who got up and started making her way towards her.   
“Hey,” she said gently and walked out of the room with her.  
“Hey,” Hermione said, nervously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading you're cute


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for making it so rushed i'm sorry. i just lost focus

“What are you doing here?” Pansy asked, and hoped it did not come off rudely.   
Hermione looked at her, a little nervous. “I am sorry, I shouldn;t have come here,” she said.   
“Oh no, it’s okay, don’t mind them, they’re a bunch of idiots,” Pansy said, meaning it.   
“I just wanted to talk to you,” she said.  
Pansy suggested they go to her room to talk and Hermione agreed. 

It felt weird returning to that foreign place which had changed the course of her life, quite literally. She remembered the kiss, Pansy’s soft lips, and the way her body felt and all of it seemed to make more sense here than it did in any of her classes.   
Pansy gestured to her to sit. Hermione sat down tentatively on her bed, and looked at the girl who was standing a little away from her, looking at her expectantly, a nervous smile on her face.   
“So, I want to apologize first, I shouldn’t have just kissed you out of the blue,” she started. Saying it out loud felt like a declaration, something so permanent.   
“And, I was unsure. I thought I was straight, but after I… kissed you, I felt nice, and better than I have ever felt while kissing any boy, and I have kissed three for the record,” she continued and Pansy smiled.   
“I am really sorry, I wasn’t trying to lead you on or anything, I really liked spending time with you. I still love it, and I thought it was purely platonic, but well, we both know it wasn’t, isn’t,” Hermione continued, unsure of what she was really saying.   
She stopped and they were silent for a while. Pansy walked up to her and sat next to her.   
“Do you regret kissing me?” She asked softly.  
“No, quite the opposite actually,” Hermione said.   
“Do you want to kiss me again?”  
Hermione bit her lower lip, trying not to break into an awkward smile, “yeah.”  
“Then do it right now, and we’ll put it all past us.”  
Hermione looked at Pansy, her soft face, her kohl smudged a bit, and her lips pink. She braced herself and leaned forward, closing her eyes and placing her lips on hers. She did not have to tell herself anything this time, it all felt so natural, so nice, so good. Something she never knew she had always wanted to do, but something that did seem to make sense. 

Holy smokes, she was kissing Hermione. Or being kissed by her, but it was the same thing. Pansy could not think anything for a minute, her head was full of Hermione and so was her face, the latter’s curly hair tickling her face and a fruity smell engulfing her.   
This is what she had wanted, yes. This exactly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading mwah!
> 
> have a good day, drink water, i know it seems tough right now but hang on, things slowly better themselves, you are doing amazing !
> 
> if you have any prompt lemme know

**Author's Note:**

> thank u for reading, you are precious  
> (short chapter I now but I'll make sure it ends in five chapters itself without seeming rushed)


End file.
